Kentucky-Gonzaga Men's Basketball Postgame Notes

KENTUCKY MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES
RUPP ARENA AT CENTRAL BANK CENTER | LEXINGTON, KY
FEB. 10, 2024
ATTENDANCE: 20,186

Final Score: RV Gonzaga 89, No. 17/15 Kentucky 85

Team Records and Series Notes

Kentucky is 16-7 on the season, Gonzaga is 18-6.
Gonzaga leads the series 2-1. This is the first time the teams have met in Lexington.
Next for Kentucky: the Wildcats return to Southeastern Conference play Tuesday at home against Ole Miss. Game time is 9 p.m. and it will be televised on ESPN.

Team Notes

Kentucky scored 85 points today. UK entered the game second in the nation in scoring at 89.7 points per game.
Kentucky blocked 10 shots today. UK entered the game sixth in the nation in blocks at 6.0 per game.

Since the North Carolina game on Dec. 16 – the first game that UK had at least two seven-foot players available – the Wildcats have averaged 7.0 rejections per game.

All 10 Wildcats who played in the game scored at least one point.
Tre Mitchell did not play because of injury. Kentucky has not had any game this season with all players available.

Eight players have missed a total of 48 games because of injury, illness or other reasons. Among regular players, Antonio Reeves, Reed Sheppard and Jordan Burks are the only ones who have been available every game.

Player Notes

Reed Sheppard led the Wildcats with 21 points – all in the second half – his fifth 20-point game of the season. He tied for the team lead in rebounds with five.

Ironically, he did not hit a 3-pointer, ending a string of 17 games with a 3-pointer.

- Sheppard, the SEC leader in steals, had two steals and has had at least two thefts in 18 of 23 games.
Antonio Reeves had 17 points and has landed in double figures in every game but one this season.
Adou Thiero had 15 points, only one shy of his career high 16 vs. Kansas. He tied for the team lead in rebounds with five.
Justin Edwards had eight points and tied for the team lead in rebounds with five.
After missing three games because of an ankle injury, D.J. Wagner returned to action.
Tre Mitchell missed the second game in a row because of injury.

Coach John Calipari

Calipari has an 848-260 (76.5%) all-time on-court record, including 403-120 (77.1%) at Kentucky.
Calipari is 332-69 against unranked opponents while at Kentucky, including 118-9 against unranked foes in Rupp Arena.
Calipari is 4-2 vs. Gonzaga.

In the First Half

Kentucky started Reed Sheppard, Antonio Reeves, Justin Edwards, Adou Thiero and Ugonna Onyenso for the second game in a row.
Rob Dillingham was UK’s first substitution at the 17:38 mark.
Nine Wildcats saw action in the first five minutes.
Edwards scored the first basket but Gonzaga posted seven points in a row and led the remainder of the half.
Late in the half, a 7-0 run gave the Bulldogs their largest lead of 13 points, 42-29.
A Dillingham 3-pointer cut the margin to 42-32 at intermission.
UK is now 2-5 this season when trailing at halftime.

In the Second Half

Kentucky began the second half with the starting lineup.
After Gonzaga made a pair of free throws to open the half, an 11-2 spurt by UK cut the gap to 46-43.
Trailing 51-45, a 7-0 dash gave UK its first lead since the first minute of the game, 52-51.
- UK continued the run to 12-0 for a 57-51 advantage with 12:30 left.
Tied at 75, Gonzaga’s Anton Watson made a basket-and-one with 3:49 left to go ahead 78-75 and the Bulldogs never trailed again.

Related Stories